School intervention
The nonprofit iEducate joins the list of efforts to boost student achievement.
A few years ago, H-E-B President Scott McClelland startled the members of the Texas House Public Education Committee with the news that the state’s largest private employer had rewritten its employee training materials to take them from an eighth-grade reading level to a fifth-grade level.
Today, not only do H-E-B’s revised training manuals stand as a stark reminder that Texas’ chronically lowperforming schools need more help, they’re also a harbinger of the fiscal consequences of failing schools.
Brick and mortar operations such as grocery stores are likely to stay in Texas regardless of the education level of their potential employees, but if high-tech businesses can’t tap in to a knowledgeable workforce, they may be forced to leave the state.
Our public schools’ most urgent need: The Legislature should act to fix the public school finance system. In recognition of this, the 13-member Texas Commission on Public School Finance is developing a report with recommendations for Gov. Greg Abbott to be completed before the end of the next year.
But luckily for Houston’s children and our city’s workforce needs, Houstonians aren’t just waiting around for a solution from on high. Many are continuing to put into practice programs that — while they can’t fix the system — can help point schools in the right direction. iEducate, a nonprofit serving over 4,000 school children, is one such program.
Roopa Gir, a former geophysicist at Schlumberger, formed iEducate about five years ago after tutoring in a school. iEducate pays college students to work alongside elementary teachers and to share their knowledge with students in Houston’s underserved communities.
Houston area college students and others who are motivated to give back should consider signing up for iEducate or another nonprofit that is making a difference in students’ lives.
The program fills a need, as teachers have their hands full due to testing requirements, the lack of supplies and the high social needs of the students. They can’t always give each student individual attention. “We divide and conquer in the classroom,” Natalia Arizmendi, 20, a former student at Lone Star College, told the editorial board.
After going through an intensive screening and training process, the college students track and summarize the daily progress of students. The nonprofit then works with teachers and principals to review student data and develop the best strategies to give each student the support he or she needs. “We have seen notable improvements in 27 of the 29 schools that we have worked with since the inception,” said Arun Gir, executive director of iEducate.
The goal is not only to teach these students but to mentor them. “In their neighborhoods, they might not see people who look like them and do such positive things,” Jameel Jordan, 23, former president of the National Society of Black Engineers, University of Houston Chapter, told the editorial board.
Historically Houston has been an incubator for many worthwhile school reform efforts, including KIPP and YesPrep Public Schools, ProUnitas, Houston A+ Challenge, A+ Up and Project GRAD Houston. But ultimately the success of the public schools depends on the commitment of Texans to our state’s children and our public schools.
To further this end, iEducate engages youth in ways that they’re likely to maintain a lifelong interest and commitment to public education. “I gained a lot of confidence working in such a hard role and learned about being optimistic and persistent,” Kaela Battles, 21, a former Lone Star College student told us.
Persistence and optimism are traits needed by not only all students but also by Texas lawmakers next session as they tackle the problems of public education.